When they missed the playoffs last season, the Baltimore Ravens cleaned house with their coaching staff. Out was long-time franchise icon John Harbaugh; in was Jesse Minter. But Minter, as good as he seems for a first-time head coach, might not have actually been the biggest addition to the Ravens' staff.
After a dazzling 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, where the high-flying Ravens also put up 500 yards of offense seemingly without breaking a sweat, that honor sure seems like it belongs to young, hotshot offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The kicker? Doyle only just turned 30 this past March. Phew.
It's still so early, but the clear biggest beneficiary of Doyle's coaching will obviously be Lamar Jackson. That's what made Jackson's
praise of his new offensive coordinator during his postgame press conference so notable. If a two-time MVP is talking up a first-time play-caller like this, you can rest assured that said coach probably has the goods:
Lamar Jackson: “Shout out to Dec. he was dialing it up.”
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 13, 2026
Jackson is raving about new OC Declan Doyle. pic.twitter.com/eSC3PWlvC5
Indeed, Doyle was, in fact, "dialing it up." Set aside the Ravens' yardage production and points for a second. Baltimore created so many big plays that it only faced nine third downs all afternoon. It averaged nearly eight yards per play and had both a 300-plus-yard passer and over 200 team rushing yards. On top of that, nine different Ravens caught at least one pass. That's what we call a balanced, efficient, and dangerous offense, dearest readers.
The Ravens' offense won't have it this easy every week. But if that's what they look like out of the gate with Doyle at the helm? The sky might be the limit.
Where was Declan Doyle before the Ravens?
Doyle was the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears last season. Before that, he was a position coach and assistant with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos in his previous NFL stops.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Lamar Jackson had 4 words to praise Ravens’ new OC after impressive debut
